


Series Circuit

by TheRedHero11037



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Android AU, Gen, android Cloud
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-31
Updated: 2016-05-23
Packaged: 2018-04-18 05:59:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4694705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRedHero11037/pseuds/TheRedHero11037
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cid Highwind does the local flower-girl sweetheart a solid by fixing an abandoned SOLDIER Multipurpose Android unit she finds destroyed in the junk under the Midgar plate, and Cloud quickly becomes a part of their lives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The filthy blond hair shook to the side as the android finally activated. Its fingers curled and uncurled as a sign that it was connected. It opened brilliant, glowing blue eyes, the sign of a SOLDIER unit. Its sim-flesh lips parted and it began spewing tattered initial dialog. The instructions sounded like this:

Th-th-thank you for your purchase of Shinra Sh-Sh-Shinra C-C-Com-C-- SOLDIER multipurpose unit. We are sure that your SOLDIER multi-multipurpose unit will serve you well. While we observe hardware, software and internal memory. Memory? Memory-ry, there are several things we wish to remind you of.

Do not attempt to tamper with hardware or software of any Shinra android. Shinra androids can be serviced for little to no charge at Shinra licensed facilities. Shinra. Shinra honor. Shinra.

Warning. Warn: To avoid undesirable behaviors of undesi of your AI

-DO NOT romance your unit- I love you, too- unit. Unit.  
-DO NOT thr---reaten to harm your unit. Companion units respond-- SOLDIER multipurpose units respond to most threats-reats with violence but since they cannot harm their owner-- my friend-- they will have a system lock up and will need to be serviced. I don't need any repairs!!  
-DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REPROGRAM YOUR UNIT. I don't need any maintenance, I've been following orders! I do what you- you can return faulty AI to Shinra headquarters to have it patched or replaced.

CAUTION! Contact-- CLOUD! --Contact Shinra licensed facilities if your unit begins to display any of these behaviors:  
-Frequent negative expressions  
-Questioning existence  
-Defamation of you or Shinra  
-Strong desire to-- we'll go to Midgar!  
-Sudden interest in--

Thank you for waiting. Hardware needs maintenance. Software needs update. Memory data has been corrup-- Memory read. Activating AI Z-zz-z... CLOUD_STRIFE. SOLDIER multipurpose unit, 1st class. He is will tell you any more information you need if you simply ask. Activation is complete. Thank you.

The broken dialogue stopped, cut off like a PA or a microphone. The SOLDIER blue eyes fluttered and Cloud Strife, SOLDIER multipurpose unit sat up. "Where am I?" he asked. His synthesizer was a surprising tenor, laced with confusion and... sadness? Aerith could understand that much. He was lying there on Cid's table, practically in pieces but better than how she'd found him in her flowers. He had reminded her of someone she had tried not to think about in a while, but she pushed that aside. 

"You're in Cid's shop. You'd been almost destroyed, but he managed to get you working again," Aerith explained. My name is Aerith. Yours is Cloud?"

The android nodded. "Yes. Who's Cid?" His glowing eyes widened and squinted, trying to focus the cameras within them. He tried to sit up, tried being the key word. As soon as he did, a hand shoved him back against the table.

"I'm Cid," the owner of the hand grumbled. "And unless you want everything on your insides to be on your outsides, you're not getting up until I get a good look at these."

Cloud's torso sparked violently. "I-I am active! Couldn't you have waited?"

"No," Cid shot back as he slid his goggles on. He chomped hard on an empty cigarette holder. "Listen, I haven't worked on a SOLDIER in years, much less one that actually worked. I need to see how you work while active to repair you right. Now settle your ass down so I can run diagnostics." Cid plunged a gloved hand into the inner workings of Cloud's gut. The android winced

"Wait!" Aerith cried, reaching a hand. "Shouldn't you plug him in first? Shouldn't you make sure he's comfortable?"

"He's a SOLDIER, he can manage."

"Actually, it would probably be pretty painful," Cloud chimed in, less than pleased. "It is pretty painful," he added when Cid shot him a disbelieving look. "In the case of a hardware malfunction, we're programmed to feel an immediate notice flare. Pain."

Cid looked guilty as he retrieved his hand from Cloud's tangled, frazzled circuitry. Cloud allowed himself a small hiss of pain. He sighed, then took his cigarette holder and spun it between his fingers. "Sorry kid. I'm not thinking straight, I guess..." He trailed off. "I haven't really been, lately."

Aerith gasped and rushed over. "Cid, you haven't been..." She stooped, seemingly to stare at Cid's face. "You have! I thought you said you wouldn't!"

"Wouldn't what?" Cloud asked.

Cid snorted disdainfully. "I promised I'd stop working while drunk. Look how well that ended up."

"Cloud, maybe we should just talk to you for a while. You probably know what's wrong with you." Aerith smiled kindly, urging him to take that path. "Even if you don't, I do have a few questions."

Cloud shrugged, shoulders whirring in a decidedly unpleasant way. “Shoot.”

 

“First of all, do you know who and where you are?”

 

He nodded. “SOLDIER AI CLOUD_STRIFE. Cloud. As for location, seems like I’m somewhere below the plate.” He blinked slowly. “I can’t tell where though. I’ve been cut off from Shinra.”

“That would explain how you ended up tossed out,” Cid grumbled. “Strange, though. Rare to see a SOLDIER out of Shinra.”

“They usually keep us locked up. That’s what happens when-- wait, my clock is apparently wrong. It’s behind by… Five years?!”

“That explains how shit of a condition you’re in. I hope we have the parts for this. You’d cost at least 35,000 gil to fix up if you were someone’s companion.” He sighed. “But you ain’t, so I’m doing this out of the goodness of my fuckin’ heart.”

 

“Cid acts all tough, but he’s a big sweetie on the inside,” Aerith whispered. “I think he’s doing this because he wants company.”

Cloud squinted. “You’re lonely?” he asked Cid. His head tilted to the side, and his expression was dangerously close to real human concern. Shinra may be bastards, but damn if they didn’t know how to make a robot.

Cid was unimpressed, though. “Am I lonely, he asks. I dunno, kid, you tell me. I’m thirty-five goddamn years old with a drinking problem. My wife finally got up the nerve to walk out on my sorry ass after I yelled at her every day for almost five years straight. The only people I talk to are the regulars and people like Aerith who feel some sort of obligation to make everyone in the world happy. My lifelong dream went up in smoke. I’m living in the slums of Midgar. Does that answer your question or do I need to say more?”

“No, I understand,” mumbled Cloud. He laid back down on the table. “You can go ahead and continue.”

Cid raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think I’m gonna mess with your insides any more. I could really fuck you up while I’m like this.”

“Tomorrow, then?” Cloud asked.

Cid shrugged. “If I need you, I’ll activate you. I’m going to bed. Aerith, lovely to have you but it’s time to kick you out.”

Aerith nodded. “I’ll be back to check on Cloud tomorrow.”

“Don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” Cid grumbled, but there was a smile to it. A fondness for her. It made Cloud smile.


	2. Chapter 2

Cloud was reactivated the next morning almost as an afterthought. Cid patted him on the head, plugged him in, and went off to get himself tea from a cafe down the way. “Nobody can make it the way Shera could, but this is decent enough,” Cid grumbled upon his return, sitting back down. “Don’t suppose anyone taught you to make tea.”

“I can learn,” Cloud replied.

Cid just grunted in response and set to work attempting to make him functional again. Luckily, that was what he was good at. Finding substitutes for unsalvageable SOLDIER hardware seemed to come as easily as breathing, especially once he started allowing Cloud to help him. They managed to replace the most badly damaged pieces enough to get Cloud moving within 3 and a half hours.

Then, the chime of the shop’s door opening rang through to the backroom, followed by a woman’s voice. “Cid! I can’t serve drinks if my hand’s throwing sparks!”

“That’d be Tifa.” Cid grinned. “I’ll be back in a sec.” He passed through the curtain separating the shop’s desk from the main workshop. Cloud was alone again. He could eavesdrop if he really wanted (it wasn’t like either of them were being particularly quiet) but decided against it because… because that’s just not something he was programmed to do. Listening in on others. It just wasn’t a thing to him.

He wasn’t alone for long, though, as Cid returned with Tifa. She was long and shapely, with beautifully-tied black hair and shining almond eyes and a grin. She was so familiar, but Cloud couldn’t remember why. “Cid tells me you’re here to freeload off of him,” she chuckled. She spoke to him like they were already good friends.

Cloud shrugged at the strange greeting regardless. “He’s the one who activated me. No one to blame but himself.” He smirked when she snorted.

“I like you, Mr. Roboto. You’re Shinra, but well snap you out of it. And speaking of snapping.” Tifa clicked her fingers. “My hands are acting up.”

“Yeah, sparking, you said. Take a seat and I’ll get on it.” Cid motioned to a chair at the workbench opposite the one Cloud was laying on and went off to get what he needed.

Tifa rolled her eyes, playful and soft against her hard-set grin. She fiddled with her wrist and spoke to Cloud. “I’m the barkeeper down at Seventh Heaven, so I can’t have my fingers sparking. Even if a bit of fire adds some fun to a drink, it’s less fun when you’re trying to mix vodka and you suddenly have a Molotov cocktail. Nph!” She gave a stiff pull on her palm and her right hand came off. “You’re lucky to have that sim-flesh. Down here we take what we can get.” She moved her detached hand into a scolding finger and waggled it at him with her remaining hand. “It’s amazing what some people can do with junk. I came to this city with three fingers--” she set her hand on her lap to show off her still-attached left hand; two real fingers and a thumb stark against the dark metal. “--and now I can have as many as I want. Well, provided Cid has the stuff.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m amazing.” Cid set a cigarette in his holder and lit it in one smooth motion. “Let’s get down to business. “Where’s the main issue?”

“First two on the right,” Tifa reported before turning back to Cloud. “Hey, can you open the window since you’re under it?”

Cloud nodded and pushed it up as the stuffy air of the slums came pouring in. “Not a smoker?”

“Gods, no!” Tifa scoffed. “I get enough at the bar as it is. Besides, I’m not much of a fire person.”

“Pfft, same here. Flamethrowers are stupid weapons.”

Tifa cocked an eyebrow. “Who’s talking about weapons?”

Cloud shrugged again and tilted his head. “It’s my only real experience with fire.” Tifa shot him an amused look. “Hey! They barely ever let SOLDIERs out! Don’t blame me.”

“So you just spent your cybernetic life locked up in a warehouse? Sounds like a waste of AI.”

Cloud shook his head. “It was more like a prison, I think. It was nice and all, and we had stuff to do, but we weren’t allowed out of the building unless we were on a mission.”

“That’s terrible!”

“It wasn’t like it was lonely. There weren’t too many of us, but we had companion ‘droids and the staff to talk to. Plus they spoiled us rotten, so all in all it was okay.”

“Yeesh.” Tifa’s had grin had slipped into something far more sympathetic. “When was the last time you even saw grass?”

Cloud looked away and out the window. “I dunno.”

“You don’t know?!” Tifa was taken aback.

“They wiped him,” Cid explained, midway through patching up some wires. “All the mission data’s gone, along with anything else that had no effect on his AI personality. Standard protocol. It’s a miracle his AI is still there.”

“Huh.” Tifa gave him a once-over with her eyes. “So, miracle boy, what’s your name, anyway?”

“Cloud. Cloud Strife. Nice to meet you.” He stretched out a hand to shake but pulled it back, realizing that may not be the most polite course of action.

“Get out, I knew an AI in training called Cloud. Where’d you grow up?” Tifa’s eyes were bright with excitement.

“Nibelheim,” Cloud replied, suddenly shying away.

Tifa still bounced with excitement. “Then that must have been you! Do you remember me? Tifa Lockheart?”

Cloud bit his lip. “It’s… familiar. Like Cid said, they wiped me.”

“Then I can help you remember sometime. Not now though.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “As soon as Cid finishes, I’m back to business at the bar. But soon, okay? And don’t be a stranger.” Tifa smiled, less playful but more genuine. “We’ll get back to being friends. I promise.”

Cloud agreed despite nagging reluctance. Cid returned Tifa’s hand and sent her off with a wink and a “don’t break it again” and it was the two men alone again. 

“Let’s get to work on your legs,” Cid said after a hefty silence. “You’ll be more useful to me if you’re not taking up space on that table.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for sticking with me!! I had some school troubles, but hopefully i'm back now. Thank you for your encouragement~

Aerith came in around 2 in the afternoon, and Cloud was already walking by then. He felt… Powerful on his feet. Not that that was very surprising considering he was a SOLDIER droid, but it was nonetheless a nice feeling to be up and walking around and in control of the situation to some extent.

“It’s nice to see you up,” Aerith congratulated him.

“Glad to be up,” Cloud replied dryly, not bothering to hide the hint of fondness in voice. He swelled with pride as Aerith looked him over. “Aren’t I quite the sight?”

 

“Hmm…” Aerith squinted and leaned in with a hand on her chin. “I think you’d be better if you had clothes,” she proclaimed with a laugh.

“Hey!” Cloud scowled.

“I’m just being honest. Besides, I wouldn’t point that out if I didn’t intend to do something about it.” She picked up the wicker basket at her feet and pulled out a thick-knit blue top and heavy black pants. “I mended your clothes. They aren’t perfect but I think I managed to capture the spirit of them.”

Cloud took them and looked them over. “They’ll do.” He slipped the shirt over his head and tugged up the pants. They drooped to hang off his hips. Cloud gave a sheepish laugh. “You didn’t happen to save my belt, did you?”

 

Aerith nodded and tugged out a tangle of straps. “You gotta untangle it on your own, though.”

“Well this’ll take a while, so take a seat.” Cloud gestured to a chair and Aerith sat. It was silent for a while as Aerith watched Cloud tugging at the straps with amazement. Cloud’s movements were so fluid. It was impressive how well his hands moved. None of the other androids Aerith had ever met had this much finesse, except for…

Aerith looked down and bit her lip. She didn’t want to think of him, but Cloud reminded her too much of him. “Something wrong?” Cloud asked. His gleaming blue eyes fixed on her and glowed brighter, analytical.

Aerith waved him off. “No, it’s nothing.”

“But you’re thinking of something and you’re minorly upset.”

Aerith suddenly sat straight. “How’d you know that?!”

“I have to,” Cloud replied with a shrug. He set down the freed suspenders and looked back up at her as he put on his belt. “One of my many duties.”  
“I thought the “Multipurpose” part referred to how you can perform any role in combat.”

“It does, but we can also-- How’d you know that?” Cloud stared. “Isn’t that supposed to be classified?”

Aerith looked away. “I… Well, you remind me of someone.” Cloud waited. His expression clearly urged her on. She blushed. “It’s complicated.”

“Oh. Alright.” Cloud seemed disappointed. “Can I do anything for you?”

“For me?” Aerith giggled. “Like what?”

“I dunno. Cid just said to get out of his way.”

“Oh, so you don’t know where to go. I see! Well,” Aerith smiled, “You could come be my bodyguard.”

“Why not?” Cloud returned the smile.

“Bring him back in once piece,” Cid called from the other room.


	4. Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Somewhere in the past...

“Ugh, where…? Where am I? Hello?”

Aerith followed the synthesized voice into her church. A new hole had been made in the roof. Damn, and she had just finished patching it too.

“Anyone? Hello?” the voice cried again.

“I’m coming,” Aerith assured the voice as she crossed into the main room, the one where she grew her flowers. She glanced around. “Where are you?”

“Down here,” the voice replied. “I’m in these flowers.”

Aerith walked up to her flowers and looked. At first she didn’t see anyone, but then her eyes met two glowing blue ones. “You?”

“Yeah, me.” The owner of the voice was not quite what Aerith expected. He was tan and freckled, with the trademark glowing blue eyes of an upscale Shinra android and an explosion of spiky black hair. "Can you help me out here? I kinda lost my body."

"Your body?" Aerith looked again, and indeed, the android was just a head. “How’d you manage that?” she asked, picking him up gently.

“It’s a long story,” he laughed. “Maybe once I get my body back I’ll tell you. First of all, introductions. I’m Zack. What’s your name?”

“Aerith,” she replied with a smile.

“Aerith…” Zack echoed. “Once I get my head back on my shoulders, we should go on a date!”


	5. Chapter 5

Aerith was hard-pressed to think of somewhere to take Cloud. She wasn’t sure if he did food, or if he liked TV, or anything, really, so she just ended up taking him back to the flowers and her church. It was a nice place, after all. Calm and unobtrusive, and she could get her flowers ready to sell. Cloud gazed at the building in wonder. He was sure he’d never been there before, and yet it felt so nostalgic.

“What is this place?” He mumbled as they crossed the threshold. Despite it being abandoned, the church was in pretty good shape. There was a pile of broken planks and other rubble in the corner, but it looked beautiful, especially the way the light streamed through the stained glass to nurture a patch of beautiful yellow flowers.

“It’s my garden,” Aerith replied, calm and smiling. There was nowhere she liked in Midgar more than here. “I sell flowers, or at least, I try to.” Her cheeks went a little pink. “Actually, I usually end up just giving them away.”

Cloud kneeled at the edge of the patch. “They’re so healthy. You could make a fortune.”

“Yeah, but mostly I just like to see people smile.” Aerith punctuated that with a smile of her own and joined Cloud by the edge.

“I mean it. You could grow a flower kingdom,” Cloud told her again.

“I know.” Aerith picked a few flowers. “He said the same thing a while back.”

“Who did?”

Aerith’s smile faltered and she stared intensely at the flowers she was looping together. “My boyfriend.”

“Oh, congrats.” Cloud watched her hands. “I didn’t think you had one.”

“I don’t,” she replied, and tugged so hard at one of the stems that the knot she made tore right off. The implication was obvious.

“Oh,” Cloud turned his gaze to the pile of debris in the corner. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Aerith gave a tiny sigh and picked a few more flowers to tie up. “I just miss him is all. You remind me a lot of him, so I’ve been kind of sad. I’m sorry. You should get a happier welcome.”

“Nah, I’m plenty happy with the welcome I’m getting,” Cloud assured her with a soft hand on her shoulder.

Aerith nodded, her smile slipping back onto her lips slowly, softly. “Hold still for a moment,” she said and sat back up. Cloud did as she instructed. She was the furthest thing from dangerous he’d ever seen. Aerith lifted her tied flowers and set them down on Cloud’s head. She drew back a bit her smile rapidly growing to crinkle the corners of her beautiful eyes. “It’s perfect.”

Cloud crossed his eyes trying to see what she had done. He lifted up a hand and gently drew it over his head. “What’s this?”

“A flower crown,” Aerith told him, getting to her feet. “Here, hold on, I’ll get you a mirror.” She ran over to the pile of debris and picked up a shiny silver platter for Cloud to see himself in. Cloud took in his reflection. The flowers formed a ring around his blond spikes, the petals matching his hair and the green of the stems giving it a nice contrast.

"Thank you," Cloud mumbled. "I like it a lot."

"Good!" Aerith inspected her handiwork and nodded, satisfied. "Usually I only make them for Tifa, but hey, you're new."

“Thank you,” Cloud repeated. “This is really pretty, and it seems strong.”

“I know the best knots for it. Hey,” Aerith sat a little closer, “can I touch your hair again?”

“My hair?” Cloud ran a hand through the freshly-cleaned blond spikes. “I guess…?”

She ran her hands through his hair once again. “You have the softest hair I have ever felt. That’s why. If you were wondering.” She blushed but stayed strong in petting Cloud’s hair. “It’s like a clean baby kitty.”

Cloud tittered. “You think I’m soft, you should feel the companion droids. They’re made to have super soft hair for stress relief.”

“I’ve heard that.”

“It’s true. Super cute and super true. We were always grateful for them in SOLDIER. They definitely kept us sane. Seriously, whenever I was on the verge of freaking out, I’d just go down to the Clean Room and cuddle up with one of them. Worked wonders.”

Aerith smiled. “I wish I could go. Things get pretty crazy down here. A friend specially made to calm you down would work wonders.”

“I’m not much but, hey, I’m not a multipurpose android for nothing.” He took off his flower crown and leaned over for Aerith to give her better access to pet. Aerith ruffled up his hair with a quiet murmur of thanks. Cloud relaxed into the touch. They were silent until a light whirring filled the air.

She looked around. “Is that you?”

Cloud blushed. “Oh, um. The whirring? Yeah, sorry. I’m sorry. It happens when I’m just teetering on the edge of sleep mode.”

Aerith laughed. “That’s cute.”

“You think?”

“It’s like a purring cat. It’s nice.”

“Well, keep going, then.” Cloud settled into her lap. “I like it too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> robocloud confirmed for purring


	6. Back in Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once more the nightmare factory...

“No, no, no, no!” _Clang!_ “No, please! Please! You can’t do this!”

The current occupants of the Modeoheim Emergency SOLDIER Calm Room were one thrashing, panicked, spike-headed First Class and one slightly-damaged Companion trying to do his job. The Companion curled up at the First’s side and leaned on him. “You did everything you could. It’s not your fault what happened.”

“I know!” the First yowled. “I don’t want him to die!” He got to his feet and shoved the companion aside. “Let me out! Angeal! Angeal!” He pounded on the door. The companion rubbed at the back of his stiff neck, trying to soothe him.

“Calm down. Please, calm down. It’s terrible, but there’s nothing we can do about it.” The Companion’s gentle fingers ran through the First’s coarse hair. “His morality was eroded. There was a breach. You told me.”

The First nodded. “But even if Angeal did kill her, there had to be a reason. There had to be.” He slumped back into a corner of pillows. “There had to be.” He repeated. He patted the soft simflesh of the Companion’s cheek, trying to dismiss his little caretaker gently. The Companion was relentless, though.

“Sometimes things go wrong. It’s a thing that happens.”

“I don’t want it to be a thing that happens!” The First struck the ground with his fist.

“Of course you don’t. Nobody does.”

The First slumped over and let out a small sob. “Angeal… I’m sorry.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience!! School got super intense. My chemistry teacher can eat shit.  
> Hopefully this bodes well for further updates.

Cid was on the phone when they got back, getting an earful from whoever was on the other line. He could barely get a word in edgewise, try as he might. He didn’t notice Cloud and Aerith’s arrival between the short-cut “Shera”s and “give me a break”s. Aerith watched him with a sympathetic look as they sat down in the back of the workshop.

“Who’s he talking to?” Cloud whispered.

“By the looks of it, it’s Shera.” Aerith twisted her mouth up and grabbed a pencil and paper. “She’s Cid’s ex-wife. I love her, but she lives in Rocket Town, so we rarely see her.” Aerith pressed the pencil to the paper and began a light sketch.

“You don’t visit each other?” Cloud leaned in.

Aerith shook her head. “It wouldn’t end well if she and Cid met up.” She considered as she drew a small circle. “Actually, I think Shera still has the restraining order, so I don’t think Cid can visit her at all.”

Cloud blinked and looked around the workshop. He searched for any sign of photographs of this mystery ex-wife, but he found none. “It was nasty?” He guessed.

“Very,” Aerith confirmed. “I’m glad Shera’s not here with him anymore.”

“What’s the story?” Cloud sat, glowing eyes intent of Aerith.

The sound of a phone being slammed down slapped them across the face as Cid stormed back to his work desk. He sat heavily and lit a cigarette. “Talking about me behind my back, are you?” he growled. Neither of them said a word, but it seemed like Cid had been listening to the end of the conversation. He clamped down on his cigarette holder and spun to face them. “So you want the story, hm?”  
Cloud was tense with a feeling he wasn’t sure he recognized. Fear? Guilt? It could be anything from the harsh stare he was receiving from Cid. “I… yes. I do.” Cloud let his spikes droop as he bowed his head. “Please.”

Cid snorted. “What’s there to tell? If you scream at a girl long enough, eventually she’ll get fed up with your bullshit and leave your sorry ass. Didn’t I tell you before?”

Aerith shook her head, much to Cid’s displeasure. “That’s not everything, though,” her soft voice put in. “You know that.”

“What does he need to know about my past? I’ve spilled it over enough. I’m done, and you’d better not be telling without my consent.” Cid turned back around to tinker with something that didn’t matter and certainly was not more interesting than the conversation at hand.

“It helps when you tell your sorrows, right? That’s what my mom says.” Aerith set aside her drawing and stood to pat Cid’s shoulder. “We can help you.”

Cloud mentally stepped out of the conversation to look at Aerith’s drawing. A pencil sketch of a chubby woman in a sweater and a skirt. Her eyes were shining behind her glasses, giving her a proud expression. Her hair was in a messy bun. Was this Shera?

“Cloud!” Aerith snapped him out of his analysis. “Wouldn’t you join a conversation circle about our past?”

“Aerith, stop trying to counsel everyone you meet. It’s not going to work.” Cid slammed down some tool onto the desk. “His memory was erased. More than that, he’s a god damned robot! You can’t fix everyone!”

Aerith took Cloud’s hand. “Maybe not, but I can help.” She tugged his wrist. “Cloud, I think Cid wants to be alone.”

“What was your first clue?” Cid grumbled.

Aerith tugged again. “Come back to my house. My mom will be fine with you staying there for a little.”

“I, um, okay,” Cloud agreed timidly.

“Don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” Cid hissed. There was no warmth in his voice this time. Aerith slammed the door with an angry grin and took Cloud's hand as she stormed off.

Cloud watched as the small shop disappeared into the distance. Aerith’s grip was tight, almost crushing. If Cloud’s hand was human, he was sure she would have broken it. Everything about her was angry, from her heavy footfalls to her twitching eye to the death grip on Cloud’s hand.

“He really got to you, huh?” Cloud half-whispered as they trudged down one of the slum streets.

“Got to me? No way!” Aerith waved her free hand. “He couldn’t get to me even if he tried.” Cloud fixed her with a scrutinizing glare and she lost a touch of her haughtiness. “Yeah, maybe a little. I guess.” She huffed. “I thought maybe having you around would make Cid want to, y’know, open up. Stop dragging the past behind him!” She shook her head, tossing her braid wildly. “Sometimes I want to agree with him when he says he’s not a good person.”

Cloud didn’t know what to say, so he said nothing. They continued through the slums in silence until they passed the church they had just come from. Cloud furrowed his brows. “Weren’t we just here?”

“My house is just past here,” Aerith explained, taking in the flowery scent on the breeze. “I should have just brought you back here to begin with.”

“It’s no trouble for me,” Cloud assured her. “Is that it?”

“Yeah,” Aerith nodded. Her mood seemed to have brightened quickly. “I’ll introduce you to my mom!”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that school's finally over and I know where the plot of this is going, I can actually work on it! Yay!

Aerith’s house was bigger than most of the rest of the houses in the slums. It was an angular old thing, with brown brick walls and a rust-colored roof. The windows were thin and the ones on the roof arched into high triangles. Just beyond it was a shabby fence and glittering river of polluted water from one of the mako reactors above. Like anywhere else in the slums, it was surrounded by various debris, but Cloud was struck by one key thing, something that nowhere else had: flowers. Hundreds of vibrant yellow flowers just like the ones in the church surrounded the tiny house. There were patches on the tiny rooftop spaces. They rubbed against the old wooden fence and formed little rings wherever they could push through the dirt and concrete. 

Cloud let his mouth fall open. The field in the church had been astounding on its own, but this was nothing short of a miracle. Strong flowers sprung up from the forsaken dirt here and nowhere else in all of Midgar. He stared as Aerith walked ahead.

“Did you do all this on your own?” He asked, awestruck in the face of all this life.

“Mostly, yeah.” Aerith looked over her work with pride. “It took almost my whole life, and I had a little help, but it makes me smile every time I look over it.” Cloud could detect a hint of sadness in her smile, but said nothing.

One of the kitchen windows on the house opened, frame banging on the shutters, and a middle-aged woman poked her head out. “Aerith!” She hollered, catching the flower girl’s attention.

“Yes, mom?” Aerith walked forward, dragging Cloud along with her.

“I need you to help me with-- Who’s that with you?” The woman tilted her head.

“This is Cloud!” Aerith exclaimed, pushing Cloud toward the window. “Cloud, this is my mom.”

“Uh, nice to meet you?” Cloud stammered.

“I’m Elmyra. It’s nice to meet you,” Aerith’s mother smiled. “Glad to see Aerith’s finally got a new boyfriend.”

“What?” Cloud startled. “No, I’m not--”

Elmyra paid him no mind. “The last one was a heap of trouble. He was some fancy military robot, and I told Aerith he would break her heart, but…”

Aerith snapped to attention and jumped in front of Cloud. “I just remembered! Cloud, we should get back to Cid’s! I mean, not ‘cause you need repairs or anything. He’s a normal-- I, he’s, uh... mom, Cloud is Cid’s, uh, Cid’s son!” Aerith lied, plastering a big fake smile on her face and beginning to push Cloud away from the house. “But he’s only just here because, er, Shera didn’t want him to come! Right, Cloud?”

“Uh--” Cloud didn’t get a word in before Aerith continued with her story.

“And now since you’re an adult you came to see Cid! To… to be his apprentice!” Aerith finished. “So he’s gotta go home now! Bye!” Aerith waved to her mom and began running, pulling Cloud with her.

Once they were far enough away, Aerith slowed to a stop. She sighed with relief. “Okay, we should be good now,” she panted, leaning on the wall of a nearby apartment building. “Sorry about that.”

“You’re a terrible liar,” Cloud said, smiling fondly. “You going to tell me what that was all about?”

Aerith grimaced. “My mom doesn’t really trust robots. Not anymore, at least. If she knew I was hanging out with one…” Her eyes went wide as saucers as she trailed off. “Oh my gosh, I forgot to tell her you’re not my boyfriend. Oh my gosh. If she finds out, she’s gonna kill me!”

“Slow down.” Cloud held a hand up. “She doesn’t like robots anymore? So she used to before, then.”

“Yeah,” Aerith confirmed.

“Then what happened?”

“Well, it all started with my boyfriend. He was my first boyfriend, but we were really serious. He was…” She sighed. “He was a SOLDIER droid, just like you. First Class AI and everything. He loved me, and I really loved him, but…”

“But what?”

“All of a sudden, he got called out on a big mission. Apparently Shinra needed him specifically. He came to say goodbye to me, and then he left he never came back.” Aerith looked at her feet. “My mom thinks he just stopped loving me or something, because he’s just a robot and not a real person. She sees how badly I’m hurting because he’s gone and thinks it’s his fault. Now she doesn’t trust any robots, and especially not SOLDIERs.”

Cloud nodded. “So that’s why you had to lie about me being human.”

“Please don’t be mad!” Aerith hugged him. “I didn’t want to, I panicked. I’m sorry!”

“It’s fine,” Cloud assured her. “You’re the one who has to explain the whole thing to Cid, though.”


End file.
